The present invention generally relates to an adjustable display rack and shelf management system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adjustable forward feeding display rack for storing and displaying merchandise of a variety of shapes and sizes and automatically delivering the merchandise to the front of the rack in seriatim.
Shelving is used extensively for stocking and storing products or merchandise in a variety of stores. Most stores have immovable shelving which is arranged back-to-back between aisleways. The nature of the fixed shelves makes it difficult to add and remove products. Moreover, such shelves make difficult the rotation of the shelved products, which involves moving the older stock to the front of the shelf and positioning new stock behind the older stock.
In order to devise a means for automatically moving products forward as they are removed, numerous forward feed devices have been devised. These devices fall into three categories. The first category is inclined tracks relying on gravity to feed the product forward. Gravity feeding is unpredictable in that various materials slide faster than others because of different weights and frictional interfaces between the products and the track. The second category tries to overcome these problems by adding conveyor belts which still use gravity to effect forward movement. Of course, such devices are cumbersome, expensive and complicated due to the need to properly tension and track the conveyor belts.
The third category uses springs to feed the product forward. The springs result in a simple, inexpensive design which will smoothly move products forward. There have been a number of variations on this type of design.
Many spring-biased devices have the disadvantage that they can only be used for a very limited size of product. In addition, even if designed for variations in size, the designs are complicated and difficult to alter. Moreover, it has been discovered that most spring biased devices cannot tolerate high loads and that such loads may often disengage the spring-biasing assembly from the display rack.
Accordingly, the present invention involves an adjustable forward feeding display system. The display system is adjustable in a direction transverse to the direction of feeding, meaning the present display system is specifically designed to adjust to compliment containers and packaging having various widths. Moreover, the present display system also involves a simplified assembly process, as well as a stable spring biasing assembly. The present display system also benefits from a stable connection to both the front and rear portions on the display rack, such that the product tracks in and any dividers in-between the product tracks are securely locked to the front and rear of the display rack while still allowing the tracks and dividers to translate transverse to the front and rear of the display rack.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention involves a pusher block and track combination. The track generally comprises a pair of collinear substantially T-shaped ridges. The pusher block has two sets of opposing flanges. The opposing flanges attach to the track at more than the top and outside surface of the rail, such that the track is captured by the pusher block with each ridge captured between a corresponding set of opposing flanges.
Another aspect of the present invention involves an adjustable display rack for storing and displaying products in a shelf-like orientation. The display has a frame with a front panel and a back panel. The front panel and the back panel extend generally parallel to one another and are separated by a fixed distance. The front panel and the back panel include races that extend along the front and back panels. The display rack further comprises one or more product tracks having raised rails extending generally transverse to the front and back panels and a removable pusher block slidably attached to the product track. A biasing member biases the pusher block forward, and at least one divider is positioned between two adjacent product tracks. The product tracks and dividers are slidably attached to the races of the front panel and the rear panel and allow for translational movement of the product tracks and dividers.
Yet a further aspect of the present invention involves a pusher block and track combination. The track includes a pair of raised rails having a generally T-shape. The pusher block has at least two sets of opposing flanges, wherein the opposing flanges attach to one of the rails at more than the top and outside surface of the rail, whereby the rail is captured between the set of opposing flanges, but slides backward and forward on the flanges.
A further object of the invention is an adjustable display rack for storing and displaying products in a shelf-like orientation. The rack comprises a frame with a front panel and a back panel extending generally parallel to each other and being a substantially fixed distance relative to one another. The front panel and the back panel include races and corresponding removable pusher block assemblies. The rack further comprises one or more product tracks. The product tracks include raised rails extending generally transverse to the front and back panels and being generally T-shaped. The removable pusher block assembly includes a pusher block slidably attached to the product track. The pusher block comprises two sets of opposing flanges. The flanges are arranged to capture the rails on both side edges of both rails. The pusher block assembly also has a biasing member urging the pusher block forward along the track. At least one divider is positioned between two adjacent product tracks and the product tracks and dividers are slidably attached to the races to allow movement of the product tracks and dividers from side to side along the front panel and the rear panel.